Clark - My Recipes by Way of France: A Cookbook

French Baked Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Tarragon Cream

Is it at all surprising that when the French bake eggs, they do so in a bath of cream? Here that cream is seasoned with fresh tarragon and lemon zest, and stirred into a nest of buttery sauted leeks before being spooned into individual ramekins along with the eggs. Then everything is baked until the yolks are still liquid while the whites turn just firm enough to hold their shape on your spoon. Because its hard for me to think about brunch without smoked salmon, I add a few slices here as a garnish, along with some capers for a salty tang. I would never say this is better than bagels and cream cheese, but its awfully good in its own French-leaning way.

Thinking Ahead

Leek and cream sauce: You can make the sauce up to 2 days in advance and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Pour off any excess water before distributing it among the ramekins.

SERVES

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the ramekins

1 large leek (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise, cleaned, and thinly sliced

Fine sea salt

10 tablespoons heavy cream, divided

2 tablespoons crme frache

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves

teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

8 large eggs, room temperature

Freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon

1 tablespoon chopped capers

Crusty bread or toast, for serving (optional)

1. Heat the oven to 400F. Brush four 8-ounce ramekins with butter and place them on a rimmed baking sheet.

2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the leeks and teaspoon salt, and cook until they are very soft, 15 to 20 minutes, reducing the heat if necessary. You are aiming for melted leeks with the barest touch of gold at the edges but no browning.

3. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the cream, the crme frache, tarragon, and lemon zest, and remove the skillet from the heat. Divide the mixture among the ramekins.

4. Crack 2 eggs into each ramekin and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Float 1 tablespoon of the remaining cream on top of each one, and bake until the egg whites are just set and the yolks are still runny, 13 to 17 minutes (it will look jiggly in the center and thats okaythe eggs will continue to cook out of the oven). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Top each ramekin with salmon and capers. Serve with bread or toast.

Oeufs lAioli (Eggs with Aioli)

A classic aioli starts with pounding garlic with a mortar and pestle until the cloves nearly dissolve to a soft, pungent paste, then dribbling in good Provenal olive oil, drop by greenish drop, until the whole thing emulsifies into a creamy, mayonnaise-like sauce. It looks silky and smooth, but it packs a wallop on the palate, especially if you use all three garlic cloves. In Provence, aioli is typically served with a mix of raw and boiled vegetables, and sometimes fillets of poached fish, but I love it smeared over pieces of ripped-up baguette, savoring the way its pungent unctuousness contrasts with the mild bread.

You get a similar flavor contrast dolloping aioli over the jammy yolks of not-quite-hard-cooked eggs. Its a play on the classic French appetizer oeufs la mayonnaise. Capers make for a bright and saline garnish here, but any number of salty things could also worksalmon roe, chopped pickled peppers, sliced olives or cornichons, or anchovies or bits of sardine. Serve these with drinks at the aperitif hour, as an appetizer with a ruffle of green salad on the plate, or even with bacon for brunch.

Thinking Ahead

Aioli: You can make the aioli (without the garnish) up to 1 week in advance. Store it, covered, in the refrigerator.

Eggs: You can cook the eggs up to 3 days in advance. Peel and store them in a covered container in the refrigerator.

SERVES TO

FOR THE AIOLI

1 to 3 garlic cloves, finely grated

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

cup mild extra-virgin olive oil (or for a mellower flavor, substitute cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed, for some of the olive oil)

FOR THE EGGS

12 large eggs

FOR THE GARNISH

Capers, anchovies, salmon roe, olives, slices of cornichons, or bits of sardines

1. Make the aioli: Combine the garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a blender or food processor and let the mixture sit for a minute or two to mellow the garlic. Then add the egg and egg yolk and blend until combined. With the machine running, drizzle in the oil in a thin, steady stream. Start dribbling the oil in slowly, then more quickly as the emulsion takes hold after 20 to 30 seconds. The whole thing should be completed quickly, in under a minute. Taste for seasoning and add more lemon juice and/or salt if necessary. The consistency should be that of a light mayonnaise; it will thicken in the fridge. (For more tips, see the mayonnaise recipe on ).